According to data released by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) on Thursday, February 1, US manufacturing reached its highest level in 15 months in January, mainly driven by the strongest order growth since May 2022.。

Specifically, the U.S. ISM manufacturing index for January reported 49.1, exceeded market expectations of 47.2, also higher than the revised previous figure of 47.1。Despite 15 consecutive months of contraction, this indicates a significant improvement。

Detailed data show that driven by strong demand in the second half of last year。Price pressures rose slightly in January, with the price index up from 45 in December..2 rose sharply to 52.9; the January raw material import index was also 46 from the previous month..4 up to 50.1, marking the first increase in four months。

In addition, the supplier delivery index increased from 47 in the previous month..0 rose to 49 in January.1, which means faster delivery。This increase may reflect delays caused by winter snowstorms and possible supply chain disruptions due to the Red Sea situation.。

Chris Williamson, chief business economist at Standard & Poor's Global Market Intelligence, said business optimism about the year ahead surged to its highest level since early 2022 earlier this year due to surging demand.。New orders rose at a pace not seen in nearly a year and a half, with the improvement in consumer goods orders in particular indicating that households benefited from slowing inflation and signs of accommodative financial conditions.。

On the other hand, factories are also showing signs of restocking, with some companies increasing investment to support higher production in the coming months.。Employment has also risen again as businesses seek to build additional operating capacity, which means that the economic recovery will strengthen further as we enter the first quarter。